The Third Man

There are a few films that have a timeless attraction and a fascinating interest to film buffs decades after they were made. One of those is The Third Man, one of my favorite movies. There are just so many interesting elements in this film.

I’ve seen The Third Man a number of times, but I was surprised that Roger Ebert says he has seen it 50 times! Here’s a video link to Roger Ebert’s comments about The Third Man:



As mentioned in Roger Ebert’s comments, Orson Welles’ delayed entrance is one of the most dramatic in film history. Here’s that scene:



I’ve read that the cat in that scene was Orson Welles’ cat.

Another element of the movie was the addition of the zither music by Anton Karas. It was added almost as happenstance, when the musician was discovered playing in Vienna while the film was being shot.

Here are the opening credits with the music of Anton Karas:



Ultimately, though, the character of Harry Lime is the key in this film. He’s a sociopath, but his charisma makes it hard for friends to believe he could be. Orson Welles was perfect in this role.